Duty Bound
by gurj14
Summary: leader of her Kingdom, Alpha Natsuki must provide an heir even after the tragedy of her beloved wife's death. But is Shizuru really dead? ShizNat NaoNat
1. prologue

**Prologue**

Natsuki paced back and forth, hands clasped behind her back asher royal cloak fluttered with her powerful strides.

The patrons around her all sat in silence, watching their leader display emotion, something very rare. Hours passed and the room stayed in deathly silence, until Natsuki suddenly shot her head up.

Everyone else was startled by her sudden change, and after a minute people descended the large mahogany stairs of the palace.

Natsuki could sense something wrong, and she stood numb at the reproachful gazes of the people before her.

"Alpha-sama," The one closest to her said in a sorry tone, "we tried everything we could... but..."

Natsuki started to shake, her eyes started glowing a bright green and her teeth grew to furious canines causing everyone near her to cower in fear.

Her fist spun around and slammed into an offending wall; the whole wall breaking to shambles and the entire mansion quaking before she fell to her knees.

A few feet away, only one patron dared to analyze their leader, her eyes shining with personal victory and an evil smirk twisted on her face.

Natsuki let out a painful howl into the night air, the sound of a wolf in sorrow.

--

--

Well into the night, a lone figure miles from the mansion heard the howl and stopped in her tracks.

Her face concealed by a cloak, two babies slept soundly in her carriage. Her eyes stung with tears but she refused to let them fall, whipping the leather onto her horses as they started trotting again.

_Natsuki... Forgive me, love, but I had to do it for our children's safety. _


	2. 1

**A/N : To clear up any questions beforehand to make it less confusing - the people in my fantasy story are all of wolf/human type. They look human, are still distinguished from female/male but there is Alpha or Fal. Alpha-sama is leader of kingdom, with wife/husband Fal-sama. In this story, male or female can become pregnant and the only difference is whether they are alpha or fal. **

**I hope you enjoy this story**

**--**

**1**

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"It's an Alpha!" Saeko smiled in triumph, holding the baby infant with a smile.

"What would you like to name him, mama?" Nao sat on the left side of a large furnished bed, her back propped up with pillows as she watched her mother-in-law play with the young boy's nose.

On his left arm, a lightening blot shaped scar representing the Alpha bloodline burned the surface of his skin.

"Me?" Saeko returned the little boy to his mother's arms, and Nao accepted him - placing a sweet kiss to his forehead.

"Yes, you," Nao replied.

"Natsuki should have a say in this, after all its bad enough she missed her son's birth I do not wish of her to miss naming him as well."

The door was opened from outside by two guards, and a younger messenger boy bowed to the two royal women before speaking, "Alpha-sama is here."

Saeko smiled, "Thank you." She turned to her personal attendant "please prepare some tea and mayonnaise sandwiches for my daughter's arrival."

--

--

Natsuki walked down the hallways of her palace, eager to see her newborn son. He was born Alpha, and she was glad to finally please her mother with an heir.

The guards let her into her wife's room, and she was greeted with her mother and wife and the small bundle of joy in Nao's arms.

Despite the joy of having a child, her eyes did not see Nao holding the baby; instead there was another woman.

The woman she loved, with bright red eyes smiling and soft brown hair a little messy. An accented voice let out a giggle and said "Ara, Natsuki-"

"Natsuki?"

Natsuki snapped from her personal daydream and realized someone else was holding the baby, and her mother looked at her with a worried frown.

"Mama," she walked into the room and greeted her mother with a kiss to her cheek. She then turned her attention to Nao and the small boy with hair similar to her own who slept soundly.

"He's beautiful," she murmured, accepting him as Nao passed him to her arms.

A voice rung out in her head _I'm sure our baby will be as cute as my Na-tsu-ki!_

Natsuki studied the small features, her mouth turned into a rare smile.

"I'm taking him to my room."

Saeko nodded in understanding and Nao frowned at Natsuki's retreating back. Her frown soon disappeared, however, when her mother-in-law started discussing celebrations of the heir.

Natsuki entered her own bedroom with her tiny son, even though he lay asleep she walked to the center of her large room and stopped before an enormous portrait.

Two large red eyes stared back and Natsuki spoke softly, "Shizuru... I have a son now."

She sighed, "This baby has done no wrong, he has served his purpose to my family... but still... is it wrong of me to wish he wasn't here to remind me that you aren't?"

The gentle smile on the portrait's face remained, and Natsuki sat down on her chair placed directly in front of her late wife's detailed painting.

"You were right though," she smiled bitterly, "he's really cute."

--

--

Maids were taking care of the newborn, and Natsuki had begun to retire for the night, feeling the need for sleep after her long journey.

A knock on her room disrupted her peace and she allowed entry of a messenger guard.

"Alpha-sama, Fal-sama requests your presence.'

Natsuki nodded, though still in her night wear she walked out of her room and down the hallway to Nao's room.

The guards outside her door flushed as they granted her entry and closed the doors behind her.

"What is it?" She stayed where she was, her eyes spotting Nao near a large wooden dresser, still in great physical shape even though she had been large during pregnancy.

Nao smirked, turning around to face the Alpha and revealing her skimpy night attire.

"We haven't spent anytime alone since you got back. Mou, I missed you."

Natsuki tensed as Nao approached her with a sway of hips, but she kept her eyes up.

Nao frowned at that, and then rested her hands on Natsuki's shoulders before sliding them around her neck and sighing in content.

"Don't you want to celebrate the birth of _our_ son?"

Natsuki seemed to hesitate.

"Natsuki," Nao breathed into her ear, "I'm _your wife. _You have a duty to me."

Natsuki feebly returned the embrace, bringing her hands to rest on Nao's hips as Nao started to kiss her.

"Our son might need siblings, hmm? We don't want him to be lonely," Nao broke the kiss and muttered into the Alpha's mouth.

She grinned when Natsuki averted her eyes and then disentangled from the embrace to go sit on Nao's large bed.

Nao followed her and started to strip of her clothes, feeling a sick satisfaction in the way Natsuki didn't watch and started to unbutton her own night shirt, as if this was a chore she was forced to do.

It was always like that with the Alpha: sex was sex, never anything more.

And Nao liked it.

After all, this was the life she had aimed for. To be the Fal, do anything she wanted, and to have Natsuki.

She won and life was good.

--

--


	3. 2

**There are twists to come that will hopefully shock you readers. **

--

**2**

--

"_You think that just because you are the Alpha heir, you have a supremacy over everyone else!"_

"_Enough!"_

"_Shi-Shizuru-onee-sama-"_

"_Leave her alone, Tomoe."_

_A sneer, and Tomoe was gone. _

"_Shizuru I-"_

"_What are you doing here Natsuki?"_

"_I came to apologize... you were right. And so is she..."_

"_Ara, the great Alpha-heir has come to apologize to – may I repeat her own words – 'a simpleton'?"_

"_I did not mean it that way, Shizuru. I was angry, I wasn't thinking-"_

"_It's okay Natsuki."_

"_No it's not! I... you... you're my only real friend, and I truly regret my disrespect."_

"_Natsu-"_

"_And after all these years you are the only one who sees me for me, yet I failed as your friend."_

"_Natsuki, these things happen."_

_Natsuki flushed because Shizuru took her hand and gave her a gentle smile. _

"_Do you remember, Natsuki, how we first met? Since then you have always been dear to me. Such things we should laugh about now."_

"Natsuki-chan?"

Natsuki turned around at the disruption. She had been drinking, again, in front of Shizuru's portrait. She skipped dinner and refused to come out of her room.

Everyone in the castle knew better than to disrupt her on the anniversary of her wedding day. Her wedding day to Shizuru, that is.

"Mother," she said softly before returning her eyes to the smiling Shizuru.

Saeko frowned at the stench of alcohol, and her own heart broke to see her child's depression.

Natsuki poured herself another drink.

Saeko sighed again and left the room. She had always disliked Shizuru because of Natsuki's rebellious marriage to the girl but as the newlyweds got along she realised that perhaps no better match could have been made, in regards to love. Shizuru, despite not having the nobility to marry into royalty definitely acted as though she did and even though it took a few years until she got pregnant it was then that Saeko started to acknowledge her.

She missed Shizuru of course, but Nao was a good girl as well and now Natsuki had a new family she should be taking care of, not an old one she mourned over.

--

--

**'Do you remember the first time we met?'**

"_Hey you! Get back here you little thief!"_

_Natsuki had snuck out of the castle for her weekend stroll through the city and she watched as a young boy around ten ran in her direction with a loaf of bread and two people chased him. _

_She frowned as the boy darted behind her. He was so young, and clearly needed a meal. _

_Seeing how tired the boy was and seeing the advance of the two very angry sellers, she took his hand and started to run, lifting him up to her back and sprinting on all fours like a true wolf. _

_Her mother would be proud, except for the fact that she was helping a thief. _

_She made it through a few alley's, marvelling at the beautiful structure of her city as she completely lost the sellers by miles and stopped her blur in a far enough field. _

"_WOW! How did you DO that?" The young boy squealed and started to chomp away on his bread. _

_Natsuki flushed slightly, "everyone can do it."_

"_But you're faster than anyone I've ever seen before!"_

_Natsuki shrugged before trying to smile, "what is your name?"_

"_Doro-chan is what my friends call me. What about you nee-chan?"_

_Natsuki scratched her head, "Natsuki."_

"_Would you like some?" he sweetly offered his prize loaf to which she refused. _

_It was then that Natsuki noticed this boy was starting puberty, his ears had some fuzz and his nose was morphing to a snout as he ate and then back into a nose. _

"_Where do you live Doro-chan?" She asked him plainly. _

"_There they are!"_

_Natsuki cursed, she had thought she had lost those two sellers. They were faster than they looked and better at tracking scent than she assumed. _

_This was when she understood her mother's scolding of 'assumptions'. _

_Out of nowhere, however, a figure jumped out and drop kicked one of them, before grabbing the other and punching them out. _

_It was swift and knocked both of them unconscious. _

_Natsuki remembered. She remembered how that light brown hair flew in the wind. _

'**I remember the first time we met.' **

'_Ara, Doro-chan, what had I told you about going off on your own?'_

'_Sorry, Shizuru-nee-chan, the others were teasing me and I ran away.'_

_Natsuki flushed when the brunette glanced her way and averted eye contact, feeling strange and intimidated. _

'_Who's your friend?'_

_Doro-chan beamed, 'this is Natsuki-nee-chan, and she helped me escape from those guys.'_

_As if on cue the two unconscious sellers grunted. _

'_Shall we go back to the orphanage now?' Shizuru, that was her name, she ignored Natsuki and held a hand out for Doro to grab._

'_Hai!'_

'_Doro-chan, how did you get that bread?'_

'_I gave it to him,' Natsuki found her voice and cut in when she saw how frightened the boy got at Shizuru's question. _

'_Is that right?' Shizuru questioned, clearly not believing Natsuki. _

_They were now walking a loop back toward the city in a poor area. _

'_Natsuki, was it? Lying is bad. Doro-chan, you will take money and pay those men back tomorrow.'_

_Natsuki was dumbfounded. No one ever told her off so bluntly. If this commoner knew who she was talking with, why then ... then... then she'd be shocked!_

'_Shizuru-onee-sama!' A young girl with green hair leaped from the designated orphanage gate and hugged the brunette, a few other children following before noticing Natsuki and whispering about the stranger. _

_Natsuki flushed and offered a small smile until Doro-chan shrieked, 'this is Natsuki-nee-chan! She saved me from bad guys until Shizuru-nee-chan beat them up!'_

_Now the kids attacked Natsuki with a fervour of questions, except for the green-haired one who continued showing attention to Shizuru. _

_Shizuru giggled at Natsuki's shocked expression causing the blue-haired girl to blush in embarrassment._

--

--

"No, give it back."

"Nu-uuuh. It's mine now!"

"Boys! That is quite enough. Did you finish your schoolwork?"

"Hai!"

Shizuru giggled at her son's faces, amused that they had previously been fighting but now sided together. Too bad for them Shizuru always knew when people lied.

"Ara, really?"

They nodded, dark curly hair a windy mess from their playtime.

"Good boys, then I'll buy you ice cream when you get a good score on your test tomorrow."

"Test?" Doro, who she named after someone special to her, looked frightened at this revelation.

Tamai, the more mischievous of her twin sons crossed his arms, "what test?"

"The one your teacher told you about, and told me about of course."

"Oh no! Tamai we must do our work!" Doro fell for the bait and Tamai flushed brightly, the two nine year old boys red in the face when their mother started laughing.

And they fell for it every time. There was no test!

Mean mommy.

--

--

Natsuki had bought two bicycles; her sons would have turned nine this evening had they still been alive.

In the very large room she demanded be kept as it were stood two cribs, looking small in the vast space, and birthday presents from over the years she bought them.

Natsuki sighed and closed the door behind her, walking down the halls toward the dining table.

She put her hands in her pockets, watching her mother tease her son as Nao talked with a maid to the side.

Natsuki decide to approach Nao and the maid, knowing Nao's way with words could be very insulting and hoping no feelings were hurt.

"Nao, its dinnertime."

Nao seemed annoyed at Natsuki 'saving' the maid from any more scolding and crossed her arms as the maid blushed, bowed, and left the royal couple alone.

"Nice to see you out of your hole," Nao grabbed Natsuki's arm and leaned forward, pressing her mouth and nose just below Natsuki's ear where she smirked.

"I have wonderful news."

Natsuki hated it when Nao did this in public and she knew Nao knew this, but she also knew Nao enjoyed it when she got agitated. This happened again. Natsuki stole her arm back and walked to the table, leaving a smirking Nao behind.

She sat at her usual spot along the very long table at the head. Her mother sat to her right with her son to her mother's right and Nao came and sat to her left.

"Serve," Saeko's voice went to the closest servant who bowed and gestured for their dinner.

Natsuki was silent as her food was placed in front of her. She waited for everyone to take a bite before she took her own, something no one ever noticed of her... yet Shizuru had.

Natsuki sighed. It was becoming less painful over the nine years to think about it, but the scar was always there.

She couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like had Shizuru and her sons never died.

She looked to her son Jule who ate his food and made faces with his grandma. He was almost four now and deserved her attention: none of this was his fault.

"Natsuki," Nao said, her diner manners were impeccable despite her usual manner of courtesy lacking, "Mama, and Jule-sweetie. I have an announcement to make."

Natsuki put another portion of food in her mouth and chewed, wondering what party Nao had decide to throw at the palace now.

"Oh! Are you throwing a party for my birthday?"

Natsuki's eyes widened at that: she had forgotten her mother's birthday was coming up _again_. She was a bad daughter.

Nao frowned, "Of course mama," and then she grinned, "But this is more wonderful."

"Tell mommy, tell!" Jule grinned before frowning and adding, "please."

Nao smiled at her cute son and then reached over to Natsuki's hand that held her spoon and took hold of it.

Natsuki raised a brow.

"I'm pregnant!"

Saeko gasped and smiled in utter delight at this news whereas Natsuki felt her face go pale, snatching her hand back as Saeko explained to Jule that he would be having a sibling.

--

--

"How can you be pregnant?" Natsuki came to Nao's room by herself for once and hissed it out in anger.

"Well you see Natsuki, you and I happen to do something call sex-"

"Shut up," Natsuki walked forward, "you know what I mean."

"No I don't," Nao retorted, "your Alpha cells entered my body and blessed us with Jule. It simply happened again."

"I was away for four months Nao! The last time I was with you was four _fucking_ months ago! How are you pregnant?"

Despite Natsuki's anger, she did not want anyone to hear their argument so both her and Nao had taken to hissing in whispers at each other.

"I am, and it's your baby if that's what you're trying to wonder! How dare you insult me of such a thing?"

"Oh really?" Natsuki moved forward, "I saw you talking with my General at my return ball last night! You were all over him! How can I be sure you never slept with him when I was away?"

"Oh! That's rich! So you never treat me like I'm your wife, never make me feel loved, but when someone remotely charming and nice asks for s fucking dance you're possessive and care all of a sudden?!"

Natsuki stopped with her next words, feeling something similar to guilt at the way Nao put it.

"For your information – had you ever bothered to _look_ at me – you would have realised this fucking little bump on my stomach. You would have realised I'm _four_ months pregnant and mama knew it but I wanted you to be there when I announced it!"

Natsuki closed her mouth her eyes moved to Nao's stomach that was under her cloak. Was that what Nao was trying to hint at when she pressed up against her before dinner?

She reached her hand out and touched Nao's stomach lightly, feeling and noticing the bump she failed to before.

That was her child in there.

But Nao slapped her hand down, and when Natsuki looked up she noticed tears in her wife's eyes.

"Out."

--

--


	4. 3

**Thank you for all the kind reviews, I hope this story is still of interest despite how I haven't updated in a long, long time. Word to all!**

**3**

"_You give the best massages ever," Shizuru purred sexily, eyes closed as she enjoyed Natsuki's fingers squeeze her aching muscles just the right way. _

"_You've never got a massage from anyone else though," the younger woman told her wife with bluntly, oblivious to the path Shizuru was trying to get them in the direction of. _

"_Ara, Natsuki, I'm trying to be romantic here. You know, I don't think romance is ingrained in you at all."_

"_It is too!" The Alpha stopped massaging and sat up on their large bed, arms crossing at her chest. "I got you flowers yesterday in fact."_

"_Yesterday was my birthday."_

"_But... it was still romantic, wasn't it? I even lit up candles and—and-" Natsuki huffed. "We had... I mean we..."_

"_Our sex life has nothing to do with romance," Shizuru holds back a pout from her massage stopping and also sits up. "Take how you dealt with your feelings for me as an example."_

"_I married you!"_

"_Before that," Shizuru smiled. "The blushing and the stutters gave you away, but you never made any advances! No romantic gestures to woo me."_

"_I set up that picnic for you!" Natsuki defended. _

"_After I suggested it?"_

"_..."_

"_It's not bad," the older woman lay back down and grabbed Natsuki's bathrobe to pull her down as well. "I wouldn't love you if you weren't so unique."_

_She smiled when the Alpha resumed massaging her. A knock on their bed chambers resounded. _

"_Yes?" Natsuki called out. _

"_There is a letter for Fal-sama from the clinic," one of the castle's servants called back. _

"_Thank you, please leave it under the door," Natsuki dismissed him while getting up to grab the letter that slipped underneath at that moment. _

_Shizuru watched Natsuki bend over to pick up the letter. "I hate it when they call me that," she murmured dejectedly. _

_Natsuki shrugged, "it's just a title."_

"_But it's still a lie," Shizuru shook her head. "Just please tell me the clinic has a solution to our problem."_

_Natsuki growled, "it's not a problem, Shizuru."_

_The 'Fal-sama' couldn't help but smirk bitterly. "How is it anything but?"_

"_We're together, that's what matters. Heirs be damned."_

"_We won't be together much longer if we don't get an heir! Natsuki, we can't be on our honeymoon forever."_

"_I'm the future to this kingdom," Natsuki responded. "It's not suspicious at all, many Fal's are unable to get pregnant - Shizuru, the clinic will do a safe surgery, it will be fine I swear to you."_

"_That is not the issue, Natsuki," Shizuru told her. "I'm... I'm not a Fal. Your mother knows it... everyone knows it!"_

"_It's not like we denied it," Natsuki takes the letter out of the envelope and hands it over to her wife. "No one can do anything about it because we're married."_

"_It just bugs me, okay? That I'm called 'Fal-sama.' I bequeath my heart to you my darling, but the entire kingdom will demand an heir and two Alpha's cannot reproduce."_

_Natsuki covers her face with her hands, wondering when marriage went from being her biggest solace to her biggest fear. Shizuru was right, she couldn't be mad at her for that. _

"_What does the letter say?"_

_Shizuru stays quiet for a long minute as she reads until a relieved sigh escapes her. "There's a high chance that I can be given medicines to provide pregnancy..."_

"_Yes!" Natsuki jumps up from the bed and pumps her fist, her eyes make contact with Shizuru and they both laugh in relief and joy. _

"Nao," Natsuki approached her grumpy wife in the morning of the next day. Thankfully the room in which they ate was void of other persons so she could discuss their fight. "May I speak with you?"

Nao made a point of putting down her fork and turning her attention to Natsuki with a scowl.

Natsuki cleared her throat, "forgive me."

Nao's eyebrows shot up. "For being a jerk or for being an amazing jerk?"

The Alpha frowned. "For having suspicions and for not telling you that... that I'm happy that we're having another child."

Nao stayed quiet and then suddenly grabbed Natsuki's cheeks and pulled her in for a solid kiss.

"I forgive you but I think you're treading on thin ice Natsuki."

Natsuki was surprised when her red-headed wife winked and resumed eating her food.

For the first time in a long while, Natsuki smiled. And when one of the servants who helped look after Jule walked in with the four year old heir, she couldn't help but realise she was kind of happy.

And it only took her nine odd years.

Villages and roads away, another couple relaxes after dinner.

"They say when your mate dies it's like losing a part of yourself," Ahn clinks goblets with her friend, watching Shizuru's sons climb the tree in the backyard.

Shizuru sips her sweet wine and relishes the breeze as it carries her hair.

"Do you believe in mates?" Ahn continues speaking to Shizuru. Her eyes are full of mischief, hoping her friend can catch onto the fact that Ahn wished to further their relationship.

Shizuru doesn't respond, eyes fixed on her two boys and their bickering.

Ahn feels her breath exhale in disappointment, but to her surprise Shizuru answers minutes later.

"I believe in mates and miracles, but why are you asking me this?"

"I was hoping... we could marry."

TBC


End file.
